8.5" deck for street skating, what do you think?

[DaSk8D00D]

Now this is the thread I was hoping for.� These are some great and informative posts.� Thinking of printing this off.

Mock it all you want, but I'm the guy who started the thread and I pretty much got what I was looking for.

I've only been skating about two years and I skate with a pretty limited groups of guys who mostly skate smaller (less than 8") decks. I guess I wasn't sure if it was "normal" to use a larger deck for street skating or if they were just meant for guys who stick to ramps/bowls. Anyway I got some good answers and I'm going to give the 8.5" and some Indy 149s a go. Thanks to all who contributed.

It's Slap.  Everything is mocked even when we don't want it to be.  I am surprised that no one, NO ONE, mentioned that riding big ass boards is a bit of a trend.  There is nothing wrong with it, but for little dudes to be saying, "I CAN'T ride anything less than an 8.blahblah..." is pretty fucking silly.  Granted, yes- it's about whatever you're comfortable on, but it's undeniable that it's a trend.  You have companies that will release the same graphic and they'll do a small/medium/large and 10 years ago, a small would be a 7.5.  Smalls for some of these companies are 8.12.  That's not "small."

Like I said- it's about what you're comfortable on.  I've seen older dudes absolutely SHRED on minis and in a bowl on a 7.8, but it was 5-10 years ago.

lol hell yeah that shit is a trend. you can tell when niggas try to turn it to some elitist shit ive posts on here where niggas were like "real men only ride 8 inch boards & loose trucks" or some bullshit like that. board size is nothing other than a personal preference. if it works for you, then its good.

 personally, i like a 8-8.25 just because i skate a lot of gaps and it gives me the right balance of foot room and flip speed for my 10.5 shoe. i assume my physical stature would have an effect on that preference as well.

[L33Tg33k]

I ride 8.5s because I'm a fat fuck with a size 12 shoe. It has never once hindered my "tech tricks". In my 11 years of skating, 9 of them have been spent on boards 8+. I remember quite clearly when I went to the skateshop to buy a deck, the shop keeper would talk shit on my boats. Nowadays I barely know anyone that rides under 8. I think it's pretty funny.

[ThirtyYearsYoung]

You started skating at 28?

I started at 23, skated for a year and half, quit at 25, then got back into it at 30.

[Taylor Anthony]

I used to ride an 8 and thought they were awesome then stepped up to and 8.25. Then I started to skate Tranny regularly and stepped up to an 8.5 and I love it. I wear a size 10 shoe and just having a wider board under me gives that stability. It might not be the same for everybody else though.

[cringe.]

 There is nothing wrong with it, but for little dudes to be saying, "I CAN'T ride anything less than an 8.blahblah..." is pretty fucking silly.  Granted, yes- it's about whatever you're comfortable on, but it's undeniable that it's a trend.

agreed, this annoys me too

[BraveUlysses]

Skated street with this board. It's a 9.16 by 32.8. Flip tricks weren't easy at first but I got used to it but even then they weren't that easy. Front boards felt really good though!

[AudioBat]

why is everybody scared to try another size or shape?
I used to skate 7.75 and would die everytime I didn't land perfect...

Skated 9.75 Santa cruz 89-90ties shape a while ago and was doing kickflips and crooked grind on street no probs...
went back to 8.5- 8.6 but wasn't really feeling it, now I'm riding 9.25 football shape and doing fine...

I feel I get better catch on flips/shuvs, better landings and less chance of breaking my board.
My 7.75 board with light trucks used to flop around under my feet during ollies, bounce away during catch etc.

with my wide ride my shit is and feels more solid.

Brian anderson rides 8.5+
Braydon Szafranski rides 8.75...

Anti hero often has 8.5 and 8.75 popsicle shapes...now go and supersize!

[victor333]

why is everybody scared to try another size or shape?
I used to skate 7.75 and would die everytime I didn't land perfect...

Skated 9.75 Santa cruz 89-90ties shape a while ago and was doing kickflips and crooked grind on street no probs...
went back to 8.5- 8.6 but wasn't really feeling it, now I'm riding 9.25 football shape and doing fine...

I feel I get better catch on flips/shuvs, better landings and less chance of breaking my board.
My 7.75 board with light trucks used to flop around under my feet during ollies, bounce away during catch etc.

with my wide ride my shit is and feels more solid.

Brian anderson rides 8.5+
Braydon Szafranski rides 8.75...

Anti hero often has 8.5 and 8.75 popsicle shapes...now go and supersize!

You're on crack

plus, Braydon rides an 8.125

[frostygreen]

I've been skating 8.5 for the past 2 years, and i mainly skate street. I wear 11.5 if its any consolation.

[irn bruised]

im 6.3 with a size us9.5 shoe i skate a 8.25 deck with 5.25' trucks as i find its big and sturdy enough for charging around a park but still light enough that techy ledge/manny tricks arent a problem... its all about what your comfy on though my buddy still skates super thin boards and hes like a size 13 shoe

 fuck it just piss around with different board set ups till you find what suits your skating best

[steve]

one of my buddies has been riding 7.5 the entire time we've been skating. it's kinda comical because the fatter/ bigger beer gut he gets the board looks even more ridiculous. Dude rides his wheels down until they're almost bearings. i don't get it... but yeah, man, just ride whatever is comfortable. A few years ago I was skating pretty much only transition and was riding one of those REAL Ace's series. the thing was a monster but i'd still go out skate some street with it. It's possible to do anything once you get adjusted. Look back at dudes skating in the late 80s early 90s. those sleds were huge!

[Filip]

one of my buddies has been riding 7.5 the entire time we've been skating. it's kinda comical because the fatter/ bigger beer gut he gets the board looks even more ridiculous. Dude rides his wheels down until they're almost bearings. i don't get it... but yeah, man, just ride whatever is comfortable. A few years ago I was skating pretty much only transition and was riding one of those REAL Ace's series. the thing was a monster but i'd still go out skate some street with it. It's possible to do anything once you get adjusted. Look back at dudes skating in the late 80s early 90s. those sleds were huge!

Same here.

And, to answer the topic, Chris Cole rides an 8,5, and he is one of the most technical skaters out there. Size of the board doesnt matter.

[jacktharipper]

definitely trendy to ride big boards, I take part in the trend at about 8.12, I can't believe how many people ride 8.5's that seems like it would be cumbersome.

fairy foot for life

[victor333]

one of my buddies has been riding 7.5 the entire time we've been skating. it's kinda comical because the fatter/ bigger beer gut he gets the board looks even more ridiculous. Dude rides his wheels down until they're almost bearings. i don't get it... but yeah, man, just ride whatever is comfortable. A few years ago I was skating pretty much only transition and was riding one of those REAL Ace's series. the thing was a monster but i'd still go out skate some street with it. It's possible to do anything once you get adjusted. Look back at dudes skating in the late 80s early 90s. those sleds were huge!

Same here.

And, to answer the topic, Chris Cole rides an 8,5, and he is one of the most technical skaters out there. Size of the board doesnt matter.

board size DOES matter; don't get it twisted. If you wanna bring in Chris Cole, he says it himself:

(He fairly recently stepped up his size; this vid is a little older)

Fallen Brasil - Chris Cole My Ride

Chris Cole is jacked as fuck. Mother fucker is like 6'1" and built like a football player. Yes, you CAN ride pretty much anything, but certain people will probably benefit from certain sizes. Granted, some things are probably more mental than physical.

[McBrandt]

For the last 11 years I've been jumping between skating an old 9.37" Frankie Hill deck from 1991, and skating a 8.25" popsicle. I've had some 8.5"ers as well, but it always seems to make me just jump back on a wider, old school shape. Popsicles start to look/feel weird to me when they get to around 8.5". DLX has one shape that's an 8.38"x32.3" or something, and that's pretty much the best shape for a wider popsicle, in my opinion. I don't do much flip tricks except for regular kick flips and tre flips. But for some reason I can get tre flips easier on the old school shape. I guess it's easier to scoop the slightly squarer tail, and there's more room for my front foot to actually land on the board. I agree with whoever said front boards feel good on wider boards, though. That, and one-foots and the no-comply revert variations and 180s. You don't really have to concentrate on what your feet are doing, you just move them and the board follows.

[j....soy.....]

I'm starting an over 30 under 8 club.....

[fookya]

I jump around anywhere from an 8-8.38 and have started realizing that for me it's not so much the board width that gets to me, it's the extra truck. granted i don't do nearly as many flip tricks as i did a few years ago, but it's a lot harder for me to flip a board with 149 trucks then 139, as far as the deck goes i don't feel like that matters all to much.

[bumpnrun]

I'm starting an over 30 under 8 club.....

lol

nice.